Mill-pinion.



W. G. NICHOLS.

MILL PINION. ArPucATlofl men MAY 4. 19151 Patented Feb. 15,1916.

M QM WIT/{81958 INVENTORY nsz arukm ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WESLEY G. NICHOLS, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EDGAR ALLENAMERICAN MANGANESE STEEL COMPANY, OF AUGUSTA, MAINE, A CORPORATION orMAINE.

MILL-PINION.

Application filed May 4, 1915.

der it particularly adapted for use in such structures.

In forming large castings of manganese steel, amounting, in the presentinstance, to

high as fifteen to twenty tons, it is practically impossible to fornrthe cope side of the casting absolutely sound, segregated deects andinherent checks being liable to 'n*ed n1inate throughout this part ofthe casting, due primarily to excessive strains from shrinkage, and theinability to properly feed the cope side of the casting.

It therefore the purpose of my invention to provide a cast manganesesteel pinion of such design and arrangement that those parts thereofwhich must withstand enormous strains and stresses, will have beenformed in the drag side of the mold, and those parts of the castingwhich occupy the cope end thereof are merely subjected to CODIPI'Q-SSIVQstrains which they are capable of successfully withstanding.

A further object is to provide a manganese steel pinion wherein theshaft is formed of two half-shafts, upon the abutting ends of which isshrunk a toothed shell, so that, should either end of the shaft becomebroken, it may be removed and a new one substituted therefor, so thatthe entire pinion or shaft need not be discarded.

In addition to the foregoing, and made possible by the manner in whichthe abovementioned objects are attained. I provide the half-shafts withoutstanding flanges which are adapted to bear against the sides of thetoothed shell, so as to prevent the overall length of the pinionchanging. The confronting shoulders defined by the flanges also preventthe shifting of the toothed shell along the pinion shaft, thishavingheretofore been a decided drawback in the forma tion.of mill pinions intwo 9 more pieces, all danger and likelihood of tlnsshifting ofSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Serial No. 25,696. the toothed shell being eliminated in the presentconstruction.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds,wherein it is to be understood that changes in the precise embodiment ofthe inventlon can be made 0 within the scope of what is claimed, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. The preferred embodlment ofmy invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in end elevation of a mill pinion embodying thecharacteristic features of my invention, portions of the pinion beingbroken away and represented in section; Fig. 2 is a view in sideelevation of the foregoing, with the lower half thereof broken away tomore clearly disclose the novel structural features involved.

Referring specifically to the several views,

the mill pinion, considered in its entirety, is formed with the twohalf-shafts 5, 6, the one being a counterpart of the other, and eachincluding the shoulder portion 7 and wabbler or power transmitting end8. The half-shafts are cored. so as to define the central openings 9,the same materially lightening the entire structure without interferingwith the requisite strength thereof. The wabbler or power transmittingend 8 includes the usual arrangement of spaced fingers or projections10, which are adapted to interlock with the corre sponding projectionswhich are formed upon the end of the power shaft.

The two half-shafts are placed end to end, the wabbler ends beingoutermost, and upon the meeting or adjacent ends of these half-shafts isshrunk the manganese toothed shell 11. In actual practice in rollingmills, there is always danger of the rolls becoming fouled by a coldingot, and under such conditions there is likelihood of either thewabbler ends or the journal portions of the pinion shaft becomin broken,the wabbler or power transmitting ends 8 being subv arge castings ofmanganese steel, that .ion of the casting-which occupies the drag sideof the mold, is many times stro pger than the part which occupies thecope side, the inherent defects and checks always predominating in thecope side of the casting. Ihe formation of the mill pinion with twohalf-shafts prevents the entire shaft from being discarded should itbecome broken, as a new half-shaft, can be substituted for the one whichfailed.

The shaft which forms part of the mill pinion is at times exposed toterrific end thrusts, and in order to prevent any likelihood of theoverall length of the shaft changing, and at the same time to insureagainst the shifting of the toothed shell along the shaft, I provide thehalf-shafts 5 and G with the outstanding flanges l2, whiclr arepositioned adjacent the meeting ends of the half-shafts and which definethe corn fronting shoulders 13. The toothed shell 11 is in the form of adrum or collar, and is 1 provided at its ends with the annular re cesses14, of such size as to nicely accommodate the flanges 13 therein. Aslight clearance is left between the outer peripheries of the flangesand the inner surfaces of the recesses, so as not to interfere with thetight shrinkage fit between the toothed shell and the meeting oradjacent ends of the half-shafts. In order to further lock the toothedshell to the half-shafts, each of the latter is provided with theslotted keyway 15, the inner surface of the toothed shell being providedwith a corresponding keyivay 16, into which is driven the key 17, thussecurely holding the various parts in proper position. The toothed shellis accordingly held against either shifting longitudinally of the pinionshell, or against rotation with respect thereto. The abutment betweenthe flanges of the half-shafts and the toothed shell further preventsany danger of the overall length of the mill pinion changing, due to endthrusts, the two halt-shafts and toothed shell forming a mill pinion,which, to all material respects, is integral throughout, and yetpossesses very substantial advantages over such construction, as pointedout.

I do not wish to limit myself to the formation of shafts having a gearwheel thereon, as the construction is equally adaptable for theformation of a mill roll; the toothed shell in this instance referringto the shell, which is provided with a circumferential groove orgrooves.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. An article of the class described comprising a divided shaft, flangescarried thereby and removed a slight distance from the adjacentextremities of said divided shaft, said flanges defining spacedconfronting shoulders, and a drum spanning the division of said shaftand contacting with said confronting shoulders.

2. An article of the class described coi.n prising half-shafts withremoved power transmitting ends, flanges carried by, and spaced adistance from, the adjacent extremities of said half-shafts, and a shellcarried by the adjacent ends of said half-shafts and contacting with theconfronting shoulders defined by said flanges.

3. A mill pinion comprising cast man ganese steel half-shafts with powertransmitting ends, flanges carried by, and spaced a distance from, theadjacent extremities of said half-shafts, and a cast manganese Steeltoothed shell carried by the adjacent ends of said half-shafts andcontacting with the confronting shoulders defined by said flanges. r A

4. An article of the class described comprising half-shafts, flangescarried by, and spaced a distance from, the adjacent extremities of saidhalf-shafts, a drum provided with annular recesses at the opposite endsthereof, said drum fittingnpon theadjacent extremities of saidhalf-shafts and receiving said flanges within said annular recesses.

5. An article of the class described comprising a divided shaft, therebydefining two half-shafts, a toothed shell spanning the division betweenand rigidly secured to said half-shafts; means engaging said shell I andholding the same against shifting lengthwise of said half-shafts, saidhalfshafts formed with power transmitting ends, and with intermediatejournal portions.

6. An article of the class described, com- I prising a hollow dividedshaft ofmanganese steel, the two sections thereof forming hollowhalf-shafts; a drum spanning the division of said shaft and holding saidhalfshafts in alinement; means carried by said half-shafts engaging saiddrum and holding the drum against movement with respect thereto, saidhalf-shafts provided with journal portions.

Signed at Ghicago Heights, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,this 28th day of April A. D. 1915.

\VESLEY G. NICHOLS.

\Vitnesses (names Fnn'rs'raoM, MARY I. In ZELLE.

